Chapter 2: The Mission

[tibbius]

Andrew bows slightly to the King. Thank you for your hospitality. This is indeed a warm country. Andrew follows along to the guard's house.

Greetings Lady. I am Andrew, a scholar from Delos recently landed at Aegium to peruse their library. I availed of the opportunity to visit the nearby lands.

Donat's wife smiled pleasantly at Andrew and Alexander but did not speak to them. After pouring the wine she retired to the ladies' chambers of the house. A while after, she and a daughter brought out food; barley gruel with peas and carrots. Meanwhile, two tall and skinny young boys scampered around the courtyard kicking a ball to each other. "Stay clear of our guests," Donat calmly rumbled at them.

Bran kept walking forward. Not stopping until he stood face to face with the large man. "Marcus is armored as a hero, because he is a hero. It is his nature. He accompanies me, at the request of our king. Who asked me to listen to your king, to discern the truth. As I have already said."

"If you wish to prevent the two kings speaking in friendship, that is an answer I will take to my king. Your own king can reward you as he sees fit, once your actions proclaim that Elaionas no longer wishes friendship with Aegium. That Elaionas has turned its back on manly virtues." Bran leaned forward. "Are you assuming the role of king, Warrior? Or will you permit the business of kings to continue?"

The tall man tilted his head back. He raised his eyebrows. His hand flexed on his spear. Then he chuckled a deep, rolling laugh. The men flanking him looked at each other cautiously. "And the herald rebukes the champion!" he exclaimed after a moment. "What is your name, herald?" Hearing Bran's response, he added, "Well met, Bran. I am Donat. Come with me to Stelios King." He led the way through the buildings of the village to a large white stone house, which had a good view from its front down to the sea a mile away. About halfway down the slope between the village and the sparkling water, several small people were gathered around a cluster of small oblong mounds amid the brush and weeds. Gesturing toward the people, Donat said: "The King is busy. Sit here and wait. I will wait with you." Turning to the spear toters who had accompanied them, he said with a smile: "Get on, get back to it. Thanks." Then turning back to Bran and Marcus: "I'd like to talk a while with you, but as you're a herald, your news is for the King's ears first. My apologies."

What do you do?

[Leitz]

Bran smiled, and treated Donat as a strong friend.

Bran looked at the mounds, and his demeanor softened. "Donat, I do not wish to presume, nor to intrude. In Aegium, I also serve as priest, making sacrifices, and dealing with loss. If you have someone who does that for you, then I am glad. If not, however, I would gladly serve you in that capacity."

[Mr Stereo1]

The tall man tilted his head back. He raised his eyebrows. His hand flexed on his spear. Then he chuckled a deep, rolling laugh. The men flanking him looked at each other cautiously. "And the herald rebukes the champion!" he exclaimed after a moment. "What is your name, herald?" Hearing Bran's response, he added, "Well met, Bran. I am Donat. Come with me to Stelios King." He led the way through the buildings of the village to a large white stone house, which had a good view from its front down to the sea a mile away. About halfway down the slope between the village and the sparkling water, several small people were gathered around a cluster of small oblong mounds amid the brush and weeds. Gesturing toward the people, Donat said: "The King is busy. Sit here and wait. I will wait with you." Turning to the spear toters who had accompanied them, he said with a smile: "Get on, get back to it. Thanks." Then turning back to Bran and Marcus: "I'd like to talk a while with you, but as you're a herald, your news is for the King's ears first. My apologies."

What do you do?

"And I you, Donat" Marcus replies readily, glad his peer had taken Bran's words well. "Perhaps we might speak after Bran and I have met with Stelios? It seems much has happened of late, which I and Aegium should consider."

"My young friend does have a way with the old lore, if his presence doesn't offend." The champion offers sympathetically.

[tibbius]

Donat grinned. "He's a fine choice for a herald, well spoken," he said looking directly at Bran.

The other spear carriers had dispersed. Donat, Bran, and Marcus sat quietly on the low bench against the white stone wall next to the front door of the king's house, watching the king and his companions come wearily up the dusty slope.

"Donat," said Stelios when he came within a dozen yards, "who are these?"

"Stelios King, a herald from Aegium, and their champion to guard him," responded Donat. "I'll let the herald speak."

[Leitz]

Bran stood, and treated the king with due respect. "Stelios, King. I am Bran. Aegium received a messenger that spoke as if we were not close friends. As if there was trouble between Elaionas, Temeni, and Aegium."

He turned slightly, and pointed at Donat. "When I arrived, it was to a warning drum. Your warriors lined up in good order, and even your champion bears the scars of defending his people. We sorrow for those you have lost, as we do with Temeni."

"With loss, and struggle, men sometimes speak roughly with friends. Later, when anger and grief are dealt with, those same men speak honestly and return to the friendship they share. Aegium asked me to listen to you, King, to hear truth from a friend. To discern the real thought, not the anger that was conveyed by the first message. What you say to me will be given directly to Aegium, without embellishment or subterfuge, so that our friendship can grow stronger."

"Did Aegium welcome lycanthropes to a wedding? Yes. As they approached, Marcus prepared our warriors. I myself set down the sacrificial knife and searched for a weapon." Bran smiled. "You may ask the gods why the lycanthropes threw down their weapons and sought protection as guests. I have asked; they have not replied. While they are unlike us in so many ways, Aegium is bound to the virtue of treating a guest well. We spoke with them, they spent the night in some abandoned buildings, and were gone in the morning. Their leader said he had kin in Rododafni, and we have not seen or heard from them since."

"Stelios. King. What do you say to your friend Aegium?"

[tibbius]

Stelios, with his curly black hair and beard and smooth forehead, seemed to be between Bran and Marcus in age. He answered gravely: "Tales told by old women guiding goats can get confused by passing across the kingdoms. We heard that the lycanthropes were treated as invited guests. It sounds instead that they intended to attack you, saw the strength of your militia, and averted defeat by pretending friendship. Such men are not to be trusted! Here they took a toll of our best -" he gestured downslope toward what Bran and Marcus abruptly recognized as graves, just tended by families - "six men done." Stelios grimaced toward Donat. "We also took a toll of them. How many? Where are their pyres or graves?"

"Five," said Donat. "They fight viciously. We leave wolves to wolves, up the mountain." He gestured across the roofs of the village toward the steep rocks above.

"Aegium is lucky in strength," Stelios continued. "Such strength brings visitors from far lands. One such came to us yesterday, Andrew by name. He stayed the night as our guest. He came with a man of your kingdom, Alexander the librarian. But Alexander did not accept our hospitality. This morning he could not be found. Do you know where he is?"

@cybersavant - the group will shortly go to Andrew at Donat's house (after this conversation). Does Andrew know where Alexander went? If so, does he want to tell Stelios, or only Bran and Marcus?

[Leitz]

Bran shook his head. "We spent yesterday helping Temeni with their meager harvest, and this morning came straight here. Andrew, and his mentor, have acted well while at Aegium, and their knowledge is vast. Alexander is from Aegium, and may have returned there. We did not see him on our way here, and I am disappointed that he did not accept your hospitality."

[Mr Stereo1]

Marcus' expression darkened as he cast a sorrowful eye to the graves, regretting now the kindness shown to those who had murdered friends and neighbors. The militia had fought well to inflict equal dead on foes striking with surprise, as bandits ought. Stelios spoke sense that this might have been his kin mourning him had the wolf-men sensed weakness in Aegium.

"A heavy crime." Marcus speaks lowly, turning back to the King. "I share my friend's sentiments, and more I suspect three Kings might do together what each alone could not. However I must say we know little or nothing of Rododafni. The wolves' leader claimed to be going there, but he spoke many lies to us. His band left in their direction, that is fact. However neither of us have visited that village, we do not know it's people and the stream separating us is long and deep with no crossing known to me. I would ask you do not take our tale as proof of their guilt." After a moment's thought with furrowed brow Marcus continues. "Perhaps Andrew and his mentor, strangers to this land, could help us? We must get to the truth of the matter, and I doubt their kin would answer questions from men of our Kingdoms. Andrew is from far away, yet he has reason to travel there and he also knows the bands' faces from the night of the wedding. He could at least tell us if they settled there as they claimed they intended, and see whether they are treated as kin by the villagers."

[tibbius]

Stelios grumbled indecisively just a moment. "You look like a champion but speak like a herald," he said. "You suggest an alliance ... under whose authority? Did King Alec task you with this? Or do you merely throw rings at a stick? ... Not that the idea is bad," he added. "Indeed your toss comes very close to my own thoughts. An alliance to end the lycanthrope threat would perhaps be a good idea." He rubbed his hands together, a sly smile forming on his face.

"Should I bring these new guests to meet with their comrade at my house?" rumbled Donat.

Stelios assented, and Donat led Bran and Marcus away across the village to his own house, one smaller than the king's and built more roughly. Still, the champion's house had a well-framed doorway and an entry chamber that opened onto a courtyard where Andrew reclined on a wooden lounge eating flatbread.

The foreign scholar looked up and saw the champion and the ad hoc herald ...

What do each of you do?

[Leitz]

Bran nodded at Marcus. While they didn't have the authority to commit Aegium to anything, it was very likely Marcus' idea would get Bran's immediate support.

He relaxed a bit. Bran's duty to bring the question to Stelios was done. His duty to let Aegium and Elaionas become stronger friends was still strong, but they were going to a champion's house. As they walked to Donat's home, Bran edged slightly back, and gave Marcus greater closeness. Let the champions build the bridge.

At Donat's, Bran greeted Andrew warmly. "How are you faring?

[tibbius]

"I'm fine," replied Andrew, "but I'm worried about your librarian. He disappeared during the night. When I woke up and found him missing I called out to our ... host, Donat, the king's champion, and he was very alarmed and set the men searching for Alexander. He hasn't been found."

Bran and Marcus quizzing Donat (courteously) revealed the same story: he was alarmed that a guest just disappeared from his house.

Not much else was happening in Elaionas, so the three heroes decided to return to Aegium with two days' worth of news from the two neighboring kingdoms. On the way back, once safely clear from the village, Andrew filled in Bran and Marcus on the involuntary nature of the hospitality offered by King Stelios.

They passed Temeni and saw King Xanthos out among the field-workers, leaning on his staff. Do you hail him?

[Leitz]

They passed Temeni and saw King Xanthos out among the field-workers, leaning on his staff. Do you hail him?

OOC: Yes. My brain is a bit dead, though. Bran is his usual engaging self.

[cybersavant]

Andrew


On the road, Andrew asks, "Your communities are so close, yet you do not seem to be much aware of each others activities. Why is that?"

[Leitz]

Bran nodded, and shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know. Much of life is taken up in day to day, and most of our villages are self-sufficient. We don't need to trade to get things we need, so there's little reason to travel. It sounds like that was used against us, and we need to re-think."

[Mr Stereo1]

"Your people fought well, for whatever it means." Marcus says to his fellow champion quietly as they depart the young King's presence. "To fell as many as you lost fighting against surprise and ambush shows both strength and spirit. Had you not fought so the wolves might have had the numbers and courage to strike Aegium as well. I will tell my King as much when I report to him." It was a small thing to offer, but even if he hadn't the authority to promise alliance Marcus' own mind was made up to argue for such. Would not raiders who feasted off their spoils return, year after year, if not driven violently from their lands like any other wolves must from the town's flocks? The peace and friendship Aegium enjoyed with her neighbors might only be restored by standing together against such a threat.

-

Marcus is shocked to hear of Alexander's disappearance, though annoyance mixes with the concern at the thought of the ideas the man's tale of escape from Stelios would put in his neighbors' heads. The suspicions raised might make convincing them of alliance that much harder.

-

Walking homeward with Andrew and Bran, Marcus nods sharply at Bran's words. "Indeed." He agrees. "You and your mentor may well have showed us the way forward, Andrew. Keeping to one's own business can keep the peace in it's own way, but had we kept abreast of our neighbors this whole business might never have come as it did." Seeing Xanthos in the fields then Marcus breaks from his thought, smiling slightly at the chance timing. "Yet we can talk of that later, for now we must show our changed ways! Hail Xanthos!" He greets loudly, with a raised hand letting the villagers know of their coming.

[tibbius]

Xanthos waves and greets the companions cheerfully. He seems to have put aside his suspicions as he watches his people work the field. Soon the latest crop of onions and carrots will be pulled, the little mounds will be weeded, and they will spend the rest of the day resting and waiting for dinner. He is glad to hear that they were welcomed by Stelios, concerned to learn that Alexander has gone missing. "I hope the young man is well," he says. "We have had a couple go missing as well, within the past six months. Same thing. The families went to sleep, and when they woke up their sons were gone."

.

On returning to Aegium, Bran and Marcus naturally report directly to King Alec, while Andrew goes to find Origen at the library.

.

King Alec has finished mending his net. They find him down at the waterfront under the mid-afternoon sun, loading his family's boat for a fishing trip. He pauses in his work, wipes the sweat from his brow. "Good that you caught me now," he says, "we will be out until sunset. What is the news from our neighbors?"

.

Origen is perturbed when Andrew informs him that Alexander went missing in the night. "He has not come back here," the old scholar replies. "I cannot make sense of his catalog system." In the cool shadows of the scriptorium, Andrew feels a gust of breeze.

[Leitz]

Bran glanced at Marcus, and smiled. "I was not able to keep my emotions from my thoughts, and for that I apologize. I think helping our neighbors, especially Temeni, would help us. We have plenty of room, and plenty of land. Letting some, or all, of them move here would help their bodies, if it could be made palatable to their souls. Marcus has his own thoughts, and I agree with everything we have discussed so far."

With that, Bran gave as unbiased a report as he could. He spoke of the misunderstandings both kings had, and how he had explained it. How Marcus and he had farmed at Temeni. How they had stood up to Elaionas' champion, and then been welcomed as friends. About Alexander going missing, as well, and the good work Andrew had done.

He looked at Marcus one more time, and then back to Alec. "I will not suggest war, nor will I say how it should be done. That is not my skill, and I know it. I will speak of houses, though. Great houses, where the door frame is crafted to fit just right, and the support beams carry the load a plain wall cannot. A stack of timber and a pile of stone does not make a building. It takes work, and each part fulfilling its role. If you and Marcus talk of war, of building the bonds between kingdoms, and of hunting those who attack our friends, know that I will do my part with enthusiasm."

[tibbius]

Alec frowned. "I will think about this while I fish," he said. "There is no direct route from here to Rododafni, so to speak of war ... it would be difficult. I think one must go a day up into the mountains and another day back, around the head of the deep stream. My uncle will know better, he was a hunter. Go to him and ask him at his house. I will be back at sunset."

[cybersavant]

Andrew


Andrew tells the tale of his adventure. "Are all kingdoms so unaware of each other? On Delos i spend all my time at the temple. I never realized."

Andrew does his best the rest of the day to help Origen figure out the library system and search for books.

[tibbius]

The Scriptorium
"I only heard of Aegium by reading an old scroll about botany," Origen replies. "The anonymous scribe recorded that this shining marble city had the largest collection known on the topic. Of course I desired to see this. It took months to find an old map that showed Aegium. Then, as you know, we had to sail the entire circumference of Peleponese to get here. What a voyage that was! Do you remember the tempest, Andrew? You thought we would be washed off the deck. The captain had us tie ourselves to the rail. We nearly drowned when the waves broke over us. But that ship held, long enough to beach her. And when the storm cleared, back on the water we came. But I digress. The point was, yes, outside our literally insular world of temples and scriptoriums, the kingdoms of Achaea and Peleponese are much like the Cyclades. Each standing alone among many unvisited neighbors."

The old man shuffled and bent to the next set of pigeonholes. "They're not ordered by letters," he mumbled mostly to himself. "What then? Andrew? What other rational system could there be for organizing scrolls?"